


Stuck in a Moment

by psychotraumatic



Category: EXO (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, jeonghun, other characters to be added - Freeform, quick mentions of other members from both groups
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-02-27 07:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13243755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychotraumatic/pseuds/psychotraumatic
Summary: All it takes is a moment of foolishness and a flash of a smile for him to arrive at his undoing.





	1. Fleeting

**Author's Note:**

> The premise may be repetitive, but I assure you it'll get better. When it gets better is what I'm not sure of. With 2 ongoing fests and another SVT story in progress, please don't expect rapid updates. If you're following the hybrid AU, just wait a little bit longer. ;)
> 
> This is merely part of Project Write the Content You Want to Read 2018. Alternately, it's all Trisha's fault.

He loves college, really he does. He loves his school, his friends, his teachers – the people in his apartment building, not so much. Parties are the norm, and he’s fine with it. He’s even known to throw some of the better ones. It’s when everybody’s shitfaced drunk and uncontrollably rowdy that he starts to hate being a college kid living in a student-friendly apartment with an overgrown frat boy as a landlord.

He had just gotten to bed an hour earlier. Getting up because of someone’s idiotic move to pull the fire alarm at 3AM was not his idea of a good time. He’s also lost his roommate who had left a few minutes ago to ask one of the emergency respondents when they’d be allowed back in their apartment. Both agreed that if it wasn’t anytime soon, they’d just sleep in his truck. But that was about 20 minutes ago and he’s still standing in the cold with only flannel pants and a thin shirt on.

He scours the crowd, looking for either his roommate or anyone he can ask about the building’s status. He grunts when he finally spots his friend chatting with a group of guys as if he has all the time in the world. It figures that he’d get distracted.

Patience was never his thing, so he makes his way over, itching to know whether or not he’ll see his bed again tonight.

“I can’t believe you forgot about me,” he grumbles. “And here I thought you were my best friend.”

His eyes turn to slits when the other continues to look back and forth between the rowdy group beside them and their apartment building. He scoffs as the boy answers someone else’s question but has yet to even acknowledge his presence.

“Hey! I’m talk–”

“Oh Sehun!”

The booming voice cuts through the din of the crowd, compelling him to turn to its source. He blanches when he sees his roommate across the courtyard instead of standing right beside him. He makes a run for it, too embarrassed to say sorry and admit his mistake.

“Who were you talking to?”

“No one,” he mutters under his breath. “What did they say?”

“Oh, we can go back up now.”

“Great! Let’s go.” 

They make their way back into their building, but not before Sehun chances another look, turning to the boy he had mistaken as someone else. He flushes, surprised to see him looking right at him. That shy smile and curious glance will haunt him in his dreams.

 

* * *

 

“A little birdie told me you were trying to pick up some dude while you were stuck outside during that lame fire alarm prank at your apartment.”

Sehun plants his face atop his book at the story. “That’s not what happened,” he groans. “And I’d hardly call Johnny little.”

“And yet you mistook someone else for him,” the other smirks. “I know it’s a big campus but there are very few people here who can match his height.”

Sehun opens his mouth to argue, only to shut it quickly at his friend’s teasing gaze. He, Johnny, and Chanyeol weren’t on the school’s basketball team for nothing. He doesn’t really have much of a defense other than he was sleepy and grumpy. That and how mystery guy had the same hairstyle as his roommate.

“He must look something special if you’re so hung up about this,” Chanyeol muses. “It’s a good thing, though.”

Sehun quirks a brow in the other’s direction, the question going unspoken as their professor finally comes in.

“He does live in the same complex. Just hold a party and invite your entire building,” his friend mutters under his breath. “Find him then.”

Sehun rolls his eyes at the suggestion, choosing to ignore Chanyeol and focus on the lecture rather than repeatedly tell him he wasn’t interested.

It’s easier said than done, of course, as the idea keeps running through his mind throughout the rest of the week. It didn’t help that the entire basketball team took every opportunity to rib him for it during practice. Johnny made sure to bring it up every chance he could. Sehun suspects his roommate now lives only to torment him.

The rest of the team, Chanyeol in particular, only added to his suffering. The party idea was plausible, but they just kept coming up with the most random suggestions on how to find the boy with the mistaken identity. From ‘Have You Seen Me?’ posters to a classroom roadshow to a fucking pageant of all things, basketball training was just miserable for him.

What makes the whole thing worse is how Sehun seems to catch glimpses of his mystery neighbor now and again. He wasn’t sure if he actually was seeing him or it was just wishful thinking. But there were times he takes a turn and sees that same profile disappear down another hallway, or have elevator doors close with a flash of a familiar smile. It makes him wonder. If he had stayed long enough to apologize, would he have gotten a reply? Would there have at least been a voice to go with his face?

A head colliding against his chest pulls him out of his thoughts, his hands instinctively grabbing onto the arms of whoever bumped into him, keeping the other steady.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” the shorter boy apologizes, his own hands gripping onto Sehun’s forearms. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Sehun can’t find it in himself to speak once he gets a look at the person talking. He belatedly realizes that he still hasn’t let go until the other clears his throat, eyeing his hands awkwardly. He quickly drops his hold, scratching the back of his head as he smiles sheepishly.

“That’s oka–”

“Yoon Jeonghan!”

“Oops! Gotta run,” the other says hastily, already scrambling around the corner. “Sorry again!”

Sehun couldn’t even finish his first statement, much less get another word in, before the boy’s out of sight. Another small blond flurry of movement passes by him in chase, presumably the same person who called out a name.

His jaw drops, dumbstruck as realization finally hits him, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

 _Yoon Jeonghan_.


	2. Offensive Foul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should really be working on those fic fests but my love for this ship knows no bounds.

Sehun’s notorious for being moody, acting extremely childish one moment and completely serious the next. His teammates have long learned to let Chanyeol and Johnny deal with him whenever the switch flips. They succeed more often than not, though both have to agree that they’re not entirely sure what to do with their shooting guard’s current state.

“He’s too smiley.”

“Why is he bouncing?”

“Did he eat Baekhyun and Jongdae for lunch? Is that why he’s so happy?”

“What the fuck?” Johnny asks incredulously. It’s one of the most ridiculous things he’s ever heard come out of his friend’s mouth. What makes it more absurd was how Chanyeol’s brows were knitted together as if he was seriously considering the possibility.

“You both know that I’m sitting beside you, right?” Sehun pipes up, shit-eating grin on his lips. “And why are you so pressed? Is it illegal to be happy?”

“You’re weird,” Chanyeol points out. “Weirder than usual.”

“I’m getting whiplash from how you are now and how you were last week. You were miserable last week.”

“Whose fault was that?” Sehun asks, one perfectly sculpted brow arching up.

Johnny and Chanyeol share a chuckle, not even flinching when their friend fixes them with a glare. Sehun just waits exasperatedly for them to get over it.

Johnny stops suddenly, eyes getting a mischievous glint with the promise of a worse time for anyone. Sehun’s too afraid to ask, but Chanyeol isn’t.

“Now look who’s being weird,” the tallest muses. “What the hell are you smiling so creepily about?”

Sehun has a gut feeling he’s going to end up as the butt of another joke, which his roommate proves right with his so-called theory. Johnny only sees one reason as to why his best friend wasn’t as miserable as he was the week prior, and that’s finding out who mystery boy was. That revelation has Chanyeol grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him, repeatedly asking if it is the case. Sehun makes the mistake of only shrugging in response, resulting to the other two calling the entire team’s attention with all their excited hollering. He can only be so grateful when their coach finally makes everyone start drills.

He gets a fair bit of heckling during the practice game, his shots missing their mark due to the excessive teasing. Their coach makes sure to grill them for it, reminding them that it’s not that shape their team is supposed to be in, especially once tryouts take place. Everyone sobers up at that. No one wants to sit on the bench to make room for a rookie on the court. It has the entire team putting on their game faces for the entirety of that week’s training, making sure they’re all in top shape for the exhibition game that Friday.

The basketball team tryouts come with much fanfare as the varsity holds a short pickup game among members before potential rookies take to the floor. The players look at it as a way to show what they expect out of hopefuls. The rest of the student body sees it as a way to ogle their campus crushes. Sehun finds their excessive screaming bothersome, but trust Johnny to make him think that mystery boy, Yoon Jeonghan, can be part of the crowd.

The idea energizes him to the point of showboating. Their coach only hopes that he can maintain his form as the season goes on. Chanyeol teases that all Sehun really needs is some inspiration. The center gets a hard shove for all his troubles.

The varsity players take turns doing demos once the tryouts start, each member keeping their eyes out for their respective positions. Chanyeol gets enthusiastic about a freshman who matches his height but is a little stockier in build. After Kris Wu’s graduation and subsequent draft into a Chinese league, their team is in need of another center. Kim Mingyu definitely has promise. He’s fast across the floor and unafraid under the net. While his shooting percentage needs work, it’s something he can improve on during training.

Judging by how several students were cheering for Mingyu, he already has a following. The girls were a given, but the boys who kept hollering his name were likely his friends. It wasn’t a far off guess. Sehun still remembers how Baekhyun and Jongdae had taken on the roles of an entire cheerleading team when he tried out, and how Junmyeon and Kyungsoo bought him food to keep his strength up.

Once tryouts come to a close, they all gather in front of the coach. They all receive praises for a job well done and get a reminder that results of rookies who make the cut will come out the following Wednesday.

Chanyeol being who he is takes the initiative to talk to Mingyu as they trek to the locker room. As much as Sehun believes in inclusion and teamwork, he loves being clean that much more. He practically runs for the showers and is out of the locker room before anyone else.

He decides to head back to the court to see if their coach needs help with packing up, or perhaps to talk it up with a few stragglers. Sehun ends up giving some input on the tryouts, who he thought had potential and could fit in well with the team. While he doesn’t have the final say, his coach does value his opinion as the vice-captain.

Their discussion takes up several minutes, long enough for Chanyeol and Johnny to find him with Mingyu tailing them. He was all set to invite the freshman for dinner when the younger boy swerves to a group of people still hanging out on the bleachers.

“You guys watched!” Mingyu exclaims, wide grin lighting up his face.

“Of course we did,” a short blond replies. “Did you honestly think Jeonghan would let us off the hook if we didn’t?”

Sehun zeroes in on that voice and the name. If he’s right, it’s the same boy who yelled out and chased after Jeonghan a few days ago. He cranes his neck as Mingyu makes a beeline, tackling someone into a hug.

“Let go,” a muffled voice pipes up. “You’re crushing me." 

“Nope,” Mingyu says playfully, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Thank you, Jeonghan.”

Sehun stares hard as Mingyu releases the hug, moving just enough to give him a clear look at who he was talking to. He lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding when the boy finally steps into his line of sight, still with that side-swept hair and that toothy smile, all while looking at Mingyu with complete adoration in his eyes.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I know you’ll make it. And I promise to watch all of your games!”

Sehun decides he doesn’t like Kim Mingyu all that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this edition of how many cliffhangers can I put in one story...


	3. 101

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter while I wrap things up for other things.

Sehun pushes the image of Mingyu and Jeonghan to the back of his mind, but it becomes increasingly difficult as the days go by. The tall freshman makes the team, making a huge show of screaming across the campus yard to announce the news to his friends. Sehun remembers how Jeonghan’s proud, toothy grin can rival Chanyeol’s in brightness.

He’s not entirely sure why Jeonghan fascinates him, but the more he sees of the boy, the more Sehun wants to know. He and Johnny were on their way back to their apartment complex after training with Mingyu as their tail, surprising the two older boys when he mentioned needing to wait for Jeonghan’s last class to end.

It becomes apparent that Jeonghan and Mingyu live in the same apartment. Whether it was just the two of them or if there were others, Sehun’s not sure yet. Regardless, it annoys him that they share such close quarters. It irks him even more that he’s bothered by it when he doesn’t have any real reason to feel that way. Perhaps Chanyeol and Johnny were right in their teasing, but he’s never going to admit that to their faces.

They make a stop at the Arts and Humanities building, waiting for a few minutes before Jeonghan makes his appearance. He ends up doing a double take at the top of the steps, eyes widening when he saw Mingyu’s company. The shock subsides quickly as he skips down the stairs to make his way over to them.

“Hello,” he greets politely.

Mingyu quickly explains why they were together on the walk home, to which Jeonghan nods along in understanding. Johnny fills in the spaces, asking how the two of them became friends. Sehun remains mum but listens all the same. He finds out that Jeonghan and Mingyu were old friends from middle school who decided to stick together when the latter enrolled in the same university. In turn, Johnny recounts how he and Sehun were childhood neighbors who never managed to get rid of each other.

“We should hold a party,” Johnny suddenly pipes up. “It can be like a welcome to the team thing for Mingyu and the others.”

“As long as no one on the guest list pulls the fire alarm, I’m game!” the freshman says.

They all share a laugh. Sehun side eyes Johnny right then, pleading with his best friend to not bring his mistake up. He doesn’t get the message.

“That was a funny night!” Johnny says, nudging Sehun suggestively. “Don’t you think so?”

“That was annoying,” Mingyu whines, diverting from Johnny’s attempt at teasing. “I had to deal with Jeonghan after they let us back in. And trust me, no one wants to deal with him when he lacks sleep.”

The youngest prattles on about Jeonghan’s sleeping habits, the other not even bothering to refute anything his friend says. “Seriously, he can sleep anytime, anywhere. There was even one summer when we went to the beach and he fell asleep on rocks!”

They all laugh at the absurdity of it. Johnny even comments how it’s something a friend of theirs, Jongin, is likely to do. “You’d probably make great friends, provided you’re both awake enough to actually greet each other.”

“Kim Jongin?” Jeonghan pipes up. “The dance major?”

There’s no denying the surprise on Sehun’s face, nor can he hide it when he asks how he knew his friend.

“We shared a few general subjects together. He’s even in my English class now.”

“He’s the guy you took headshots for recently, right?” Mingyu adds, slinging an arm over Jeonghan’s shoulders. “This one’s a multimedia arts major. He sometimes does favors like that so he can build his portfolio.”

It’s like this that Sehun begins to learn more about Jeonghan, with the boy himself barely saying anything at all, allowing only shy smiles as Mingyu continues to sing him praises. It’s also like this that Sehun begins to warm up to the loose-lipped freshman who was more than willing to offer up information without batting an eyelash. In the 15 minutes it took for them to walk from the university to their apartment, he probably knows enough about Jeonghan to consider themselves friends.

“Let me know if that party gets the green light,” Mingyu says as they enter the elevator, pressing the 12th floor button while Johnny taps on the 8th. “And if it is a go, is it ok if I bring Jeonghan as my date?”

Sehun takes it back. He really doesn’t like Kim Mingyu. He hopes that he manages to keep a straight face as he nods in agreement. He can only be thankful that Johnny waited until they were safe inside their room before laughing in his face.

“Dude, you should have seen your face, oh my god,” he says in between chuckles.

“Shut up.” 

Being the friend that he was, Johnny doesn’t stop. He continues to tease Sehun about how he and Jeonghan don’t even look alike, and that perhaps he was just looking for an excuse to talk to a cute guy.

“He’s taken,” Sehun mutters. 

“You don’t know that.”

“Mingyu just asked if he can bring Jeonghan as a date to this hypothetical party we’re holding.”

“What if that’s just his way of including his roommate into the conversation?” Johnny points out. “They live together, sure. And we _are_ having this party, I did say it was for the team. Jeonghan is clearly not part of the varsity, but he lives with someone who is. Do you catch my drift?”

“Then he could have just said he wants to bring Jeonghan along,” Sehun argues with a pout.

“Dude, if this is you admitting you have a crush on him, you don’t have to be so grumpy about it.”

He just stares long and hard at Johnny, lips downturned into a frown. He hates how his best friend looks back with a smug grin, having caught on to what he was thinking.

“We _can_ ask Mingyu if they are dating, you know? Save you the misery.”

Sehun wants to punch him for even suggesting it. He can already imagine how offended Mingyu would be if he was, in fact, dating Jeonghan. That was just an awkwardness he doesn’t want to drag into their teamwork.

“On second thought, don’t ask Mingyu,” Johnny adds as an after-thought, catching onto the look that Sehun shoots him. “They _did_ give us a potential source for all things Jeonghan.”

“How many mint chocos do you think I have to bribe Jongin with?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I did write slow burn in the tags.


	4. One Down, Another to Go

With Johnny having clued Jongin in regarding Sehun’s mistaken identity fiasco, the dance major felt enough sympathy to offer information on Jeonghan without any bribe. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really the answer Sehun was hoping for.

“I honestly don’t know,” Jongin says during one of their get-togethers. “Mingyu was in the studio when Jeonghan took my pictures. He was pretty much like an oversized lap dog, and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s like he knew every move Jeonghan was going to make before he even did it, so Mingyu was fetching things and helping out without needing instruction.”

Johnny gave Sehun a sympathetic pat on the back. If Mingyu was acting like a doting boyfriend towards Jeonghan, then it was likely the case. “I know it sucks. This is the first time in a long while that you actually have an interest in someone, and he ends up being taken.”

“It’s just a stupid crush anyway,” Sehun grumbles. “It’ll go away soon enough.”

He quickly realizes that it was nothing but wishful thinking on his end.

With Chanyeol’s help, Johnny did get the party he wanted, inviting the basketball and cheerleading teams along with some friends. Being one of the few people that wasn’t a jock, Jeonghan stuck close to Mingyu the entire night, with the taller boy’s arm wrapped around his shoulder most of the time. Sehun did manage to talk to both of them, but he couldn’t prevent pangs of jealousy every time Jeonghan laughed at one of Mingyu’s lame jokes.

Jeonghan is also a man of his word, showing his support for Mingyu every chance he gets. If he wasn’t loitering in the gym during basketball training, he’s there once the team emerges from the locker room, ready to greet Mingyu with a bottle of cold water and a pretty smile. If anything, it leaves Sehun hoping he was on the receiving end of Jeonghan’s affections instead.

So when he chances upon Mingyu and some unknown guy on an intimate date, Sehun goes livid.

“Try to calm down,” Johnny advises. “We don’t know what’s up.”

Sehun stares him down in disbelief. “You were there with me,” he says. “You can’t tell me that was just two close friends hanging out. He had his hand in the guy’s back pocket.”

“Look,” Johnny starts. “If Mingyu and Jeonghan are having issues, that’s between them.”

“Someone has to tell Jeonghan,” Sehun presses on. “I mean, fuck, they live together. How sick is Mingyu to cheat on him?”

Johnny loses the argument then and there. Despite not wanting to get caught up in someone else’s drama, he can’t help but agree with his best friend. “What’s the plan then? Jeonghan and Mingyu are practically attached at the hip whenever they’re on campus, and it’s not like we can just show up at their door and start asking questions.”

The answer presents itself when Mingyu had an extra hour of training with Chanyeol the following week, leaving Jeonghan with the choice to wait or walk home alone.

“You don’t have to wait for me,” Mingyu says reassuringly. “You can go with Sehun and Johnny. I know you have a ton of homework to do anyway, and most of your materials are at home.”

“Fine,” Jeonghan replies with a huff. “You’re cooking dinner tonight.”

“I cook dinner every night,” Mingyu points out with a laugh.

Sehun finds himself walking with Jeonghan, with Johnny coming up with some excuse about the library, leaving him to talk about the guy he saw out with Mingyu.

“I saw Mingyu out last week,” he mentions. “It was a little shocking to see him and not have you there with him.”

Jeonghan laughs loudly, not even defending himself from the implications of Sehun’s observation. “Yeah, I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to tag along considering why he was out in the first place.”

Sehun quirks an eyebrow at that, his mind going a mile a minute thinking that he may have gotten some wires crossed. What if it was Jeonghan who was in the wrong?

“Did you see him out with someone?” Jeonghan asks. “Shorter than Mingyu, glasses, kind of looks like a cat?”

Sehun slowly nods as an answer.

“That’s Wonwoo,” Jeonghan simply states. “We went to high school together. They’ve been dating since Mingyu was a junior and he was a senior. And then Wonwoo went off to college and Mingyu ended up enrolling to our uni, so I sort of ended up being his caretaker. As much as we drive each other up the the wall, Wonwoo trusts very few people to reign over his boyfriend.”

“Oh.”

Jeonghan turns contemplative at Sehun’s reaction. “Will that be a problem? Mingyu’s preference, I mean.”

Sehun vehemently shakes his head, explaining how their coach enforces a zero tolerance policy against bullying among players for whatever reason it may be. He also mentions how Mingyu isn’t the only LGBTQ team member. “It’s just a matter of knowing boundaries and showing each other respect. We all try to create a healthy environment for everyone so we can feel comfortable around each other.”

Jeonghan smiles in relief, admitting that one of the reasons he keeps going to their practices is to make sure Mingyu is doing okay. “We can’t really fight culture and tradition, you know?” he continues wistfully.

Sehun presumes that not everyone has taken too kindly to the freshman being in a relationship with another boy. He loses himself in thought, wondering what horrors his teammate may have gone through, trying to recall his own anxiety in coming out to his family and friends. When he thinks he finds the right words to say, Sehun is left in shock at finding the other in a formal bow.

“Please take care of him,” Jeonghan pleads.

Sehun gently tugs him upright. With a reassuring smile, he says “There’s no need to ask. I’ll keep an eye out for him, for you.”

He’s not sure if he saw it right. Maybe it was just the cool evening wind, or maybe it was wishful thinking. But Jeonghan’s cheeks flushing a pretty shade of pink was too cute of an image ingrained in Sehun’s mind.

They reach their apartment complex soon enough. A comfortable silence falls upon them as they wait for the elevators, only for Jeonghan to walk back to the lobby when he hears a delivery guy mention his apartment number. Ever curious, Sehun follows.

“I’m sorry but there must be a mistake,” Jeonghan says. “I didn’t order anything.”

“Yoon Jeonghan, right? For apartment 12A?” the delivery man clarifies. Upon the other’s careful nod, he continues, “This is correct then. It’s been paid for anyway.”

“May I ask by whom?”

“Some kid who called himself DK.”

Jeonghan lets out an exasperated laugh but accepts the bags of food nonetheless, bidding the delivery man a goodbye. He turns to Sehun and asks if he can hold the bags, proceeding to pull his cellphone out once the other takes them.

Jeonghan scrolls through his contacts, easily finding just who he was looking for in his recent calls. It wasn’t even two rings when someone picks up the other line.

“Lee Seokmin, what did I tell you? Why do I suddenly have two boxes of chicken with me?”

Sehun pretends to not pay attention to Jeonghan’s side of the call, but he can’t help but zero in when he starts whining about the unnecessary gifts.

“Alright, fine,” Jeonghan gives in. “I won’t deny that it’s extremely thoughtful of you. Thank you, Seokmin.”

Sehun blinks slowly at the tender smile tugging at Jeonghan’s lips, feeling a little bubble of jealousy that someone was able to put it there.

_Who the hell is Lee Seokmin?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter, new challenger!


	5. Linger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter again. There would have been more but I felt there was too much of a disconnect between where this ends and the next couple of scenes, hence cutting it here.

Sehun doesn’t realize how much of an impression Jeonghan’s presence made, not just for him, but for the entire team. While he manages to keep his curiosity at bay, everyone else starts asking Mingyu where his personal cheerleader has been for the past couple of weeks.

“Midterms are coming up,” the freshman replies simply. “He’s either at the library or heads straight home after classes. I don’t want him to wait around for me only to cram when we get back.”

They tease him for being a nice little brother, earning a huge grin and pink cheeks from Mingyu. Sehun’s not sure if the whole team is already aware of his relationship status, but the way Mingyu appears more open and playful with everyone suggests that he’s finally comfortable with them. He wonders if that also means Jeonghan won’t be around as much to act as guardian.

Johnny signals that they’re good to go, pulling Sehun out of his thoughts, the three beginning their trek home. Mingyu ends up excusing himself halfway through their walk, saying something about dropping by the grocery store and for them to go ahead. The chime of his phone stops him from explaining his idea of preparing dinner for Jeonghan.

Mingyu gets a curious look on his face, but later smiles to himself as he pockets his phone. “Nevermind, we can go together,” he says. “Jeonghan already has dinner covered.”

“Are we sure he won’t set your apartment on fire?” Sehun jokingly asks, already privy to the knowledge that Jeonghan couldn’t cook to save his life based on one of Mingyu’s numerous anecdotes.

“Nah,” Mingyu replies laughingly. “Seokmin’s with him, so he should be good. If there’s anyone I can trust to feed Jeonghan, it’ll be him.”

Sehun takes a deep breath, bracing himself for the questions he’s sure Johnny’s ready to fire off. His best friend doesn’t disappoint, asking who Seokmin was. Unfortunately, Mingyu is only able to give a vague response, saying he was an old friend, before they had to part ways at the elevator.

Johnny looks at Sehun pointedly, one eyebrow arched perfectly.

“Don’t,” Sehun interjects before his best friend can even utter a word. “Just don’t.”

 

* * *

 

Sehun heaves a sigh as he piles another textbook onto his already high tower of readings. He may be a jock and a partygoer but he still has grades to maintain. With midterms coming up in two weeks, he’s resolved to dedicating all free periods, a few hours after basketball practice, and maybe even the next couple of weekends to his studies.

Unfortunately, he shares the idea with a good portion of the student body, leaving few seats available. Sehun scans the floor for one, quickly realizing he’s going to have to suck it up and share. He looks longingly at his favorite nook, one lone corner table set against the picture windows, giving the perfect views of the entire library and the campus quad. There’s only one student occupying the space, but if the two cups of coffee on the desk were anything to go by, the boy’s companion was probably just grabbing books off the shelves like he was a few minutes ago.

Sehun catches someone waving at him in his periphery, smiling when he sees one of his classmates taking her bag off of the chair beside her.

“Figured you needed a seat more than my things do,” she muses as he sits down. “I feel like we need to call for reservations just to be in here.”

Sehun chuckles as he opens one of his many textbooks. “You’re a lifesaver,” he says dramatically. “How can I ever repay you?”

“Two things,” the girl says, leaning forward and pinning a serious gaze on him. “Never do that schtick again,” pointing a finger at his face. “And let me borrow your notes for Professor Hwang’s class.”

They dissolve into giggles, making the students sitting nearby glare at them. The girl presses her mouth into a thin line while he smothers his against the sleeve of his sweater, muffling the noise as much as they can.

“That’s one of Mingyu’s teammates, right?”

“Yeah. He lives in our apartment building too.”

“No plans to say hi?”

Jeonghan raises his head from his notes, looking blankly at Seokmin and his innocent smile. He lets his eyes wander, his spot from the corner table giving him a good line of vision across the library. His gaze lands on Sehun’s back, shoulders visibly shaking from quiet laughter from whatever joke he shares with his companion.

He’s seen them together before, walking in and out of classrooms, making idle chit chat along the halls, generally being their beautiful selves. Jeonghan is sure that a few students have already taken out their phones and snapped photos to further fuel the rumors surrounding them.

_Are Oh Sehun and Bae Joohyun together?_

Jeonghan refuses to dwell on the thought, deciding to quiz Seokmin instead on his history midterm. His tutee whines at the sudden question, but flips the pages of his book nonetheless.

They hear Mingyu before they see him, making several students and the librarian shoot the tall basketball player dirty looks. Mingyu has the decency to appear apologetic as he makes his way across the library. Jeonghan and Seokmin chuckle to themselves, waiting for their friend to make his presence known at their table.

Several minutes pass, and Mingyu is still not seated with them, making Jeonghan lift his head to look for his roommate. He swallows thickly when he spots the other standing by Sehun and Joohyun’s table, nodding along to whatever conversation they were having.

“Sit down, Mingyu,” Sehun says, pointing at the newly vacated seat at their table. “My neck’s starting to hurt looking up at you.”

“Oh no, don’t worry,” Mingyu replies, shaking his hands around in refusal. “I just came to say hi since I was going to pass by you anyway. I was actually on my way over to Jeonghan’s table,” he explains further. “I’ll catch up with you at training. Bye Joohyun.”

Sehun turns in his seat, gaze trailing Mingyu’s lanky form, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other’s roommate. He regrets doing so immediately when he spots Jeonghan in his favorite spot, head bowed over a book with some guy’s arm draped across his shoulders. He watches as they turn towards each other, small smiles tugging at their lips as they talk about whatever.

Joohyun clears her throat to get his attention, a teasing smirk lighting up her otherwise stoic demeanor. “Someone finally caught your eye, huh?”

Sehun opens his mouth to refute her words, only to keep quiet when Joohyun gives him a stern look in challenge. “Yeah,” he tentatively admits. “Except I think it’s going to stop at just that.”

“Boyfriend?”

“I think.”

“You think?”

“Shut up and get back to your studying.”

Sehun sulks as Joohyun lets out another set of soft giggles. Unbeknownst to the basketball player, she sneaks a glance to the corner table, hiding a smile behind her hand when she sees the pretty one staring at the back of Sehun’s head.

_Interesting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for all these cliffhanger type things.
> 
> Or y'know... shout at me in comments or [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/hypnotic_scene).


	6. Clarity

The time he spends studying involves a rollercoaster of sorts. There are days when Sehun finds Jeonghan alone, the other being friendly enough to offer the free seat at what is apparently both their favorite spot in the library. Then there are days when he’s with either Mingyu or Seokmin or both, and he chooses to sit with Joohyun despite her knowing glances and constant teasing. He still hasn’t met Seokmin formally, nor does he feel the need to, not when every move the boy makes has Sehun clenching his fists in frustration.

“Why don’t you just get it over with and tell him you’ve been harboring a huge crush ever since you mistook him for Johnny?”

Sehun glowers, completely unamused at Joohyun’s smugness. “I’m not putting that on the table when he has a boyfriend.”

“You don’t even know if they are together,” she points out. “You thought Mingyu was his boyfriend, and that Mingyu was cheating on him, only to find out that he’s been in a long-term relationship with Jeonghan’s high school friend.”

“Johnny really needs to learn to shut his mouth,” he grumbles.

“Amen to that,” Joohyun says with a chuckle. “Honestly, I’ve had enough of you skirting around the topic. Just get it out of your system already. If he’s in a relationship, then it sucks for you. But what if he isn’t? Stop wasting your time.”

“I don’t even know if he’s gay,” Sehun mutters under his breath.

Few things render Joohyun speechless, shock clear on her face. “You are arguably the biggest idiot I know. Why are we friends?”

“Shut up,” he says, narrowing his eyes in a half-hearted glare.

Sehun stands a few moments later, excusing himself to fetch a book for his literature class. He takes a quick glance to the corner, noting that Seokmin was alone and wondering when Jeonghan left. He hisses when he hears Joohyun snickering behind him.

Sehun takes his time wandering the aisles, perusing the shelves for the book he needs to finish one of his papers. He figures to make one big trip, stacking one text over the other for his other subjects. He freezes upon turning to the history section.

Jeonghan rises on his tiptoes, arm extended in attempt to reach the topmost shelf. His fingers brush against the cover of a book, but he fails to get a grip on the spine to pull it down. Sehun thinks it’s cute how he lets out a little huff, eyes narrowed to a glare. It’s easy to imagine him throwing a tantrum within the next minute, looking exasperated that the book refused to move.

Sehun walks up behind him, tapping him lightly on the shoulder to move before easily reaching for the offensive book Jeonghan is still squinting at. He blinks slowly as Sehun hands the hardbound text over.

“Thank you,” Jeonghan says shyly.

“No problem,” comes Sehun’s reply. “I didn’t want you to get in trouble for starting a fight with the bookshelf.”

Jeonghan playfully rolls his eyes, landing a feeble punch against the basketball player’s arms. “We can’t all be giants like you jocks.”

“Yes, but there’s also the stepping stool at the end of the aisle,” Sehun points out with a smirk. A few chuckles escapes him as Jeonghan repeatedly hits him.

He isn’t sure when they got this friendly, but Sehun dances a little in his head at how Jeonghan seems to be comfortable around him.

“Thanks again for getting this for me,” Jeonghan says, holding the book up and shaking it a little. He turns back to the shelf, picking up a bottle of strawberry milk he left there during his struggle.

“Are you allowed to bring that here?” Sehun asks warily.

“Probably not,” the other shrugs. “But taking it with me was the only way Seokmin was going to shut up,” he continues, throwing another cute glare at the drink.

Sehun blanks at the mention of the other’s name.

“Anyway,” Jeonghan pipes up brightly. “I need to go back. Those papers won’t write themselves.”

“Uh, right, yeah,” Sehun lamely agrees as the other side steps to pass him.

“Have fun with Joohyun.”

Sehun doesn’t manage to reply, words catching in his throat at hearing the tone in Jeonghan’s voice. It may just be wishful thinking, but it sounded as if the other was jealous.

 

* * *

 

“Are you dating Bae Joohyun?”

Sehun chokes at the question, mentally cursing the fact that Mingyu had no brain-to-mouth filter, nor does he have enough common sense to not ask those types of things while someone had just taken a drink after two long hours of training.

“So that rumor’s started up again, huh?” Johnny muses, a teasing smirk pulling at his lips. “You’re really not doing yourself any favors if you want to catch someone else’s eye.”

“Wait,” Mingyu interjects, a finger scratching at his temple as if it’ll help his thought process. “You’re not dating Joohyun?”

“No, I’m not,” Sehun answers. “She’s just a good friend.”

“And I’m pretty sure she’s somewhere giggling about the absurdity of the idea,” Johnny adds. “Then again, she’s dating Junmyeon. She’ll probably just smile politely and give Sehun a sympathetic pat on the back.”

The look of utter confusion on Mingyu’s face prompts the two best friends to laugh. “It’s a long story,” Sehun says. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Huh. I guess I owe Seokmin a week’s worth of lunches.”

It was Sehun and Johnny’s turn to look confused, prompting Mingyu to explain how he and Seokmin made a bet on whether or not Sehun was dating Joohyun.

“Jeonghan kept saying it was a bad idea,” Mingyu says with a pout. “I should have listened to him.”

“And now you owe his boyfriend lunch,” Johnny quips, hoping to bait the younger boy into spilling.

Mingyu’s face morphs into one of playful disgust. “The day those two start dating will be the day the world ends. Seokmin’s a pet or a pest, depending on Jeonghan’s mood.”

“So they’re not together,” Sehun clarifies.

“No,” Mingyu replies. “Jeonghan tutors Seokmin a lot. The kid has the attention span of a two-year old whose diet consists of gummy bears. His parents used to pay Jeonghan for it, but now that they’re going to the same college, Jeonghan refuses to take his money. So Seokmin ends up buying or cooking food, and generally being sunshine and rainbows as payment. Jeonghan likes to call him his fool now.”

Sehun can feel Johnny’s stare on him, a silent command in his best friend’s eyes to ask the one question he really needs an answer to. But he’s stubborn and refuses to give in. He should have known better.

“Is Jeonghan single?” Johnny blurts out when Sehun avoids his gaze.

It was Mingyu’s turn to choke on his gulp of water, hitting his chest until he dissolves into wheezing chuckles. “How long have both of you wanted to ask that?”

The two best friends share a surprised look, causing Mingyu to snicker.

“No,” he replies, pausing for some effect. “He’s not dating anyone. Did you develop a crush after that fire alarm prank?”

Johnny cackles as Sehun reddens, the latter asking how Mingyu came to that conclusion.

“I may not be the sharpest tool in the box, but I have eyes. Jeonghan also told me how you thought I was cheating on him with Wonwoo. He tells me everything.”

Johnny’s rolling on the floor at this point, tears in his eyes as he struggles to take in breaths. “I love Jeonghan, oh my god.”

“Get in line,” Mingyu says with an overly solemn nod. “It’s not moving.”

Sehun is still trying to wrap his head around all the information he’s getting from their conversation that what the youngest said barely registers. When it does, he can only tilt his head in confusion.

“He doesn’t really date,” Mingyu replies with a shrug. “It’s not for a lack of people being interested. It’s just one of his many quirks.”

“Man, that sucks for you,” Johnny says pitifully. “First time in a long while that you’re interested in someone and you end up crushing on the one person who won’t date you.”

“He won’t turn you away though,” Mingyu interjects. “It’s not that he won’t date. He just doesn’t bother with superficial things. And so far, a lot of the people who tried to ask him out were just that. He’s a stunner so they think he’s great arm candy. He’s got plenty of talents so some think they can take advantage. He also has mad social skills so there are a few who think they can get a free pass to wherever if they drop his name. But the thing is, Jeonghan is eerily perceptive, so he shoots people down once their intentions become clear. What I’m trying to say is, if you really like him, make sure it’s for the right reasons and not just because you think he’s cute from that one random mistake you made.”


	7. Banter

Midterms came and went without any issues. Perhaps the biggest shock to them all was when results came out. With varsity players needing to meet a grade requirement to keep on playing, the entire basketball team had the surprise of finding out that Mingyu had the makings of a straight A student.

“So much for not being the sharpest tool in the box,” Johnny deadpans with a slap on the freshman’s back.

“You don’t know how much suffering I had to go through for that,” Mingyu grumbles. “Between Jeonghan and Wonwoo, and sometimes even Seokmin, I have no choice but to work hard and do well.”

Sehun chuckles at the exasperation on his face. He had swallowed his pride at some point, joining Jeonghan, Mingyu, and Seokmin during their study sessions. He knew how hard the younger studied under their careful watch, with Jeonghan threatening to call Mingyu’s boyfriend at any sign of falling behind.

A few times, it had been the other way around, with the three coming to sit with him, Joohyun, and Junmyeon. It was during then that Sehun learns about Jeonghan knowing the senior. As the university newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Junmyeon was often in contact with contributors, including Jeonghan.

Sehun recalls asking in private if he was the only one who didn’t know Jeonghan until that fire alarm, Joohyun’s snickers providing a background to Junmyeon’s pitying gaze.

_ “If I had known it was Jeonghan everyone was teasing you about, I would have introduced you. But when Joohyun confirmed it, she told me not to say,” Junmyeon confesses, ignoring his girlfriend’s playful glare. “It was pretty entertaining watching you fumble, though.” _

_ Sehun’s lips press into a firm line, eyes blank as the couple share a laugh at his expense. _

_ “Please get together before I graduate,” Junmyeon quips. “I need to see the havoc both of you are sure to cause.” _

Sehun doesn’t know when his lovelife became everyone’s favorite topic. Johnny now teases him that until he gets the balls to ask Jeonghan out, he’s likely to get some hounding from all their friends.

“Gyu.” Speak, or in this case, think of the devil and he shall appear. The three basketball players turn around to find Jeonghan with an expectant look on his face, holding his arm out with a piece of paper clutched in his fist. “We need to do groceries.”

“Wow, you’re already putting me to work,” Mingyu says in mock pain. “My hell week just doesn’t end, does it?”

Rather than reply, Jeonghan only proceeds to angle his head, flashing a sweet smile. Charming as it was, it was easy to spot the mirth in his eyes. Sehun chuckles, shaking his head at the image the shorter boy makes. Their attention turns to him at that moment, with Mingyu getting a glint in his eyes that tell him he’s in for some trouble.

“Do you guys want to come with us?” the freshman asks. “I’m cooking dinner, you know, like I always do,” he finishes with a roll of his eyes.

Sehun opens his mouth to reply, only for Johnny to beat him to it and agreeing for both their sakes. His lips fall into a grimace, thinking how bad it is that everyone’s conspiring against him and resolving to making sure that his best friend doesn’t get a moment of peace when they get home.

“Mingyu really is a great cook,” Jeonghan says reassuringly, a smaller, more genuine smile on his face. “But if you have plans, I’m sure he’s fine with a raincheck.”

Sehun realizes how the other took notice of his expression, schooling his features into something more neutral before saying that he’d love to join everyone.

They bid goodbye to the rest of the varsity not long after, with Chanyeol making Jeonghan and Mingyu deliver a message to some kid he calls Woozi. “Tell him to pick up his phone every once in a while. I need to talk to him about something.”

Mingyu and Johnny take the lead as they trek to the supermarket, with Sehun and Jeonghan trailing after them. Jeonghan’s shooting text after text as they walk, leaving it to Sehun to grab at the shorter boy’s elbow every time they make a turn or if they were about to bump into something. Jeonghan sends him a small smile, both grateful and apologetic, explaining that he was already talking to Woozi.

“Have I met him before?” Sehun asks, expression thoughtful.

“He was there for Mingyu’s tryout,” Jeonghan says. “The short blond. Just please never tell him I called him that.”

“Was he the same kid that was chasing after you that one time?”

Jeonghan blinks rapidly as he tries to recall the moment Sehun was talking about. He laughs a few moments later when the basketball player points out that it was the same day they literally ran into each other.

“Yeah, that’s him. Well, his real name is Jihoon but he goes by Woozi, too.”

Sehun nods and smiles at the appropriate moments while Jeonghan regales him with stories about his and Chanyeol’s mutual friend. He makes a comment about how amusing it is that they ran in similar circles but only recently met, making Jeonghan shrug wordlessly.

They arrive at the supermarket not long after, sidling up to Mingyu and Johnny who were grinning far too widely for Sehun’s liking.

“Can I see the grocery list?” Mingyu says excitedly, holding his palm out for Jeonghan to hand over a piece of paper. The freshman proceeds to tear the sheet in half before offering one back. “I figured we can shop faster if we split the list. Johnny and I will take this set, you and Sehun for that.”

“Makes sense,” Jeonghan replies, absent-minded as he pours over their half of the groceries. He already has a push cart in front of him. “Counter 6 in 30 minutes?”

Sehun throws a blank expression to his best friend, with Johnny pursing his lips together to prevent a laugh from escaping. He pretends he doesn’t see the thumbs up Mingyu flashes at him, choosing to follow Jeonghan without acknowledging the other two.

By the time Sehun catches up, he sees the slighter boy struggling with three jugs of milk cradled against his chest. He jogs up at plucks the items from Jeonghan’s clutches with ease, getting a huff of thanks in return.

“It figures he’ll give me the half with the heavier items,” Jeonghan grumbles. “What an underhanded way to put me to work.”

Sehun chuckles at that, eyes turning into crescents as he teases Jeonghan for the many anecdotes of his laziness. Jeonghan narrows his eyes at him, but doesn’t refute any of the stories, choosing to stick his tongue out and stalking away in search of the next item on the grocery list. Sehun realizes he left the cart behind, leaving the basketball player to do the brunt work.

They spent the rest of the errand with playful banter in between, neither realizing how Mingyu and Johnny were following them around, phones capturing as much of their moments as they can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lack of updates for this one. Just a short chapter to move away from the mistaken identity arc into the wooing one. ;)


	8. Bananas, Milk, and Video Calls

Finals creep up to them much in the same way midterms had, throwing everyone into a frenzy of library sessions and group studies. The main difference between then and now was an increased level of comfort among different sets of friends that bring Sehun and Jeonghan together more often than not. If it wasn’t sequestering several tables to put together in their favorite corner, they find themselves at one or the other’s apartment, offering a more private space for their friends once library hours come to a close.

Sehun’s been privy to Junmyeon asking Jeonghan for contributions when basketball season starts next term, much in the same way Jeonghan has seen Sehun nag Joohyun for her notes. Mingyu and Seokmin take turns in making meals and snacks to keep everyone going, with Jongin and Johnny prone to eating most of it. Even Chanyeol and Jihoon have found spots among them, with one strumming his guitar during down times while the other keeps headphones over his ears for the most part.

In Sehun’s mind, having their group of friends come together is a recipe for disaster. Mingyu and Johnny have proven that over the semi-regular grocery trips they’ve made since that one time after midterms. That first afternoon they decided to study at someone’s apartment had him praying for some miracle that no one makes any sort of remark about his growing fondness for Jeonghan. Sehun supposes he’s lucky that everyone’s so busy with their studies to even pay him any attention.

His focus is split in two, though. Part of him goes through required readings and problems sets, another takes note of every little move Jeonghan makes. Any chances of him denying how much he likes the other boy comes to an embarrassing negative million at this point. Jeonghan is equal parts smart, caring, playful, and sassy that Sehun already feels blessed to have become his friend.

An elbow to his side pulls Sehun out of his reverie, squinting his eyes at the culprit. Joohyun slides her notebook towards him in response.

_ Stop staring. You’re too obvious. _

Sehun rolls his eyes but does as she says, turning his focus back on his accounting problem set. His jaw goes slack when he notices all the red from when Joohyun checked his solutions, an indignant squawk leaving his mouth. Sehun goes pink when several heads turn to look his way, cheeks warming at the sound of Jeonghan’s snickers.

Mingyu makes a show of rolling across the floor, stopping at his side to peer over his work. The freshman starts to point out exactly what he did wrong, prompting Sehun to crumple the sheets into a roll and hit Mingyu with it.

“Stop! This is child abuse! Help!”

Sehun cackles when a chorus of “save yourself” and “you asked for it” is the only help Mingyu gets. His eyes meet Jeonghan’s when he decides to let up, the two sharing a smile, a silent understanding passing between them.

Not much else happens after that until Junmyeon, Joohyun, and Jongin all decide to bow out and head to their own apartments. Chanyeol asks if he can take over Sehun and Johnny’s couch, while Jeonghan insists for Jihoon to stay with him and Mingyu rather than take an expensive cab ride home.

Everyone helps with the cleanup, sharing idle conversation in between picking up discarded candy wrappers and packing up books. Mingyu asks what time everyone needs to head to campus, flashing a pitying look to Sehun when he learns about the 7AM class.

“Morning classes should be banned,” Jeonghan groans as he slips his shoes on.

“Amen to that,” Sehun agrees, waving tiredly as the others head out the door. “Good night, guys. See you later.”

Later turns out to be 20 minutes before his first class, entering his apartment building’s elevator to find Jeonghan as a lone occupant.

“Good morning,” Sehun greets, chuckling to himself when the other yawns before replying.

Jeonghan has one hand raised up to his face, a loose fist attempting to rub the tiredness out of his eyes. “Good morning,” he says softly. He looks down quickly, rummaging through his messenger bag and pulling out a small carton of milk and a banana. “Here!”

Sehun accepts the food and drink, his expression of thanks sounding like a question more than anything. Jeonghan flashes a sleepy smile as they step out of the elevator, explaining that it was to help get them through the day.

Whether it’s the banana and milk or seeing Jeonghan first thing in the morning, Sehun thinks he’s in for a good day.

 

* * *

 

There’s some unspoken agreement that they alternate between the apartments for every study session they have, which is why Sehun and Johnny find themselves visiting apartment 12A that night. Neither are surprised to find Chanyeol and Jihoon already there, with comments that the others are already on their way.

“Where’s Jeonghan?” Johnny asks after looking around.

“Dead,” Mingyu quips in a loud voice.

“Shut up, Kim Mingyu!”

The freshman laughingly explains how his roommate is pretty much drained after back-to-back exams, only having enough energy to drop his stuff at the dining table, crawl to his room, and collapse onto bed. “He hasn’t moved since. And that’s about an hour ago.”

Sehun manages to take a peek into Jeonghan’s bedroom, snorting as he sees the other lying on his stomach, limbs stretched out in all directions. He’s somewhat jealous at Jeonghan’s relaxed state, wishing for finals to be over so he can hibernate for the summer. He settles for kicking at Chanyeol’s long legs to give him space on the couch instead.

In the lull of conversation, a call comes in, the strum of a guitar and two soft voices acting as the ringtone. Jihoon perks up at the sound, excitement evident when he exclaims “You still use this?”

“Someone answer the call for me,” Jeonghan whines.

Mingyu does as he’s told, swiping across the screen without so much as a glance at the phone.

“I’d say ‘what’s up’ but I can clearly see it’s the ceiling,” comes the dry greeting.

It was Johnny’s turn to perk up at hearing someone speaking English fluently, even if it was through a call.

Mingyu fumbles to pick the phone up from the coffee table when he realizes what the boy on the line said. “Hi Joshua!” he greets, waving a hand at the screen. “Jeonghan, it’s a video call!”

“Tell him I’m dead!”

“Finals week, huh?” comes the voice from the phone, amusement clearly lacing the caller’s tone.

Mingyu only shrugs in response as he walks towards Jihoon, throwing an arm across the smaller boy’s shoulder. Jihoon smiles up at the phone in greeting, talking to Joshua in Korean about the song that was set as the ringtone. “You have to visit so I can record that properly.”

“I  _ am _ visiting!” Joshua says, reverting back to English. “I was calling to confirm my flight details.”

It was a confusing conversation to follow, especially for Sehun who didn’t know who Joshua was and is only fluent enough to ask about food and where the bathroom was. He looks at Johnny who doesn’t seem to care about it and Chanyeol who looks as clueless as he was, before deciding it’s not really in him to pry. Sehun figures Mingyu and Jihoon will talk about Joshua once they hang up anyway.

“You have to introduce me to everyone,” Joshua continues. “I know Jeonghan won’t do anything.”

“What do you mean?” Mingyu asks in English, his accent making Johnny crack a smile.

“I mean everyone,” Joshua repeats, “including that boy in your team that Jeonghan has a crush on.”

Sehun can feel Johnny stiffen beside him, turning a wide-eyed gaze to his best friend before staring at the phone in Mingyu’s hand. Sehun’s curiosity gets the best of him, wanting to ask Johnny if something was wrong. The question dies in his throat as Jeonghan runs out of his room, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Hong Jisoo!”

By the time Sehun gets his senses back, Jihoon is kneeling on the floor, clutching his stomach and laughing heartily. Mingyu has his hands up in the air as if in surrender, and Jeonghan is hastily saying his goodbyes.

Jeonghan takes a deep breath before turning around, jumping back when his eyes land on Johnny looking like the cat that got the cream.

Jeonghan looks like he’s inches away from a breakdown as his eyes look everywhere except Johnny.

“What is it?” Chanyeol asks, getting tired of his own confusion over the situation.

“It’s nothing,” Johnny says with a shrug, though his eyes travel back to Jeonghan. “We can talk about it later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Refer to tags. ;)


	9. Redux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Switching it up a bit and giving you Jeonghan's POV

Jeonghan is equal parts woeful and thankful that it was finals week. He’s miserable about writing one requirement after another. At the same time, he was grateful that everyone else was just as busy because it means it was a little easier to hide from Johnny. Their study sessions were fine since they’re never left alone, and he’s sure that the basketball player is keen on cornering Jeonghan rather than expose him outright. It’s also a good thing that Mingyu and Jihoon have kept things to themselves.

But now that things are winding down, he’s not sure how much longer his good luck will last. He’s had several classmates come up to him to say Johnny was looking for him, making Jeonghan run from one hiding place to the next in an effort to avoid the other.

Interestingly enough, he gets wind of how Sehun was asking around for his whereabouts, too. And as much as being found by him is infinitely better than facing Johnny, Jeonghan wants to keep his sanity for a while longer.

Unfortunately for him, he gets the worst possible ending among the options.

“Wow,” comes the deadpan expression from behind him. “You really know how to run when you don’t want to be found.”

“How did you find me?” Jeonghan asks in a whine.

“Jongin is far too nice to lie to me,” Johnny replies with a shrug. “He told me you usually go to this café when you have photos to edit, a tidbit he found out when you shot for him. Nice choice! It’s tough to find and so far off campus for regular folk to care. Of course, I’m an incredibly determined man with a penchant for gossip. So, do I have to pull it out from you or will you willingly give me the information I need?”

Jeonghan opens his mouth to reply, only to get an interruption that was sure to be his undoing.

“Oh? I didn’t know we were meeting someone today.”

Johnny looks up at the same moment that Jeonghan faceplants on the table, causing the newcomer to laugh.

“Is this–”

“No!”

“Okay, chill,” the other says. There’s an awkward silence that falls among them as Jeonghan keeps his face hidden. “Hi,” he says shyly. “My name’s Joshua. I’m Jeonghan’s best friend.”

Jeonghan sits up right by the time the other finishes his introduction, whimpering at how Johnny blinks cluelessly, only for a grin to slowly tug at his lips. He takes Joshua’s hand in greeting, introducing himself to be one of Mingyu’s teammates.

“But not _the_ teammate,” Joshua says with a smirk.

“Hong Jisoo,” Jeonghan says through gritted teeth. “If you have any love for me, please stop.”

“American?” Johnny asks, mouth twisted in thought.

“California, born and raised,” Joshua replies. “I came back here for high school because my parents thought I needed to get in touch with my roots. That’s where I met Jeonghan.”

“Cool, I’m from Chicago,” Johnny says. “And same with the whole parents thing, except my setup is college.”

Jeonghan watches on cluelessly, gaze bouncing back and forth as his two companions carry on their conversation. While he’s not fluent in the language, he knows enough English to reassure himself that his best friend wasn’t saying anything he shouldn’t be. Joshua does notice his silence, though, quickly reverting back to Korean when he figures out why Jeonghan was quiet.

“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “Anyway, I was telling Johnny that you just picked me up from the airport and how I’m staying for the whole summer.”

“Where are you staying?” Johnny asks.

“He’s living with us,” Jeonghan replies. “Since Mingyu will stay in town for basketball training, I figured I’d get a part-time job nearby. And it’s not like we live far away. We’ll probably go home for a week or two.”

“Yeah,” Joshua agrees. “Our other friends are also in town anyway, so it’s easier to arrange get-togethers here than figure out when everybody’s actually home.”

Johnny stares at Jeonghan curiously. “How many friends do you have?”

“I’m offended, truly,” Jeonghan deadpans. “Why have you been looking for me anyway?”

Johnny flashes him a cheshire grin, eyebrows going up and down teasingly. The athlete gets a slap on the arm for all his efforts before saying how they were planning to hold a party. “A couple of the other tenants on our floor will have their doors open for it, but main area will be our place. We expect to see you there,” he says, extending the invite to Joshua as well.

“When is it?” the other asks, yawning at the end of it.

“This Friday,” Johnny replies. “So don’t worry, you have two days to get rid of your jetlag.”

“Do we need to bring anything?” Joshua continues. “Food, drinks?”

“When did we agree on going?” Jeonghan interjects. “What if I decide I want to go home on Friday morning?”

“As if Mingyu will let you,” Joshua quips. “Come on, it’ll be our first college party together! Don’t make me miss out on it because you want to be a brat.”

“I really hate you.”

“Love you too, baby.”

Jeonghan looks back at Johnny with a blank expression, lips twitching when he sees the basketball player with curiosity written all over his face. “I guess we’re going. Just let me know if you need us to bring something or whatever,” he says. “Are you going back to the apartment now?”

“Yeah,” Johnny replies with a nod, gaze moving towards the pile of bags behind the two best friends. “Do you guys want help with those?”

“Please,” they say simultaneously, the smiles on their faces sealing the deal.

“Huh.” Johnny quirks his head as he looks at them. “Has anyone told you that you look similar? I mean, you don’t really look alike but you sort of have that same vibe. Do you get me?”

Jeonghan grins as Joshua laughs, both saying how their friends talk about it all the time.

“It’s gotten worse as we got older,” Joshua says with a shake of his head. “Same height, same build, same hair.”

“Hey, remember that summer two years back when we both dyed our hair pink and drove everyone mad? We should do that again!”

“You two sound like so much trouble,” Johnny muses.

“You have no idea.”

 

* * *

 

Jeonghan does make an appearance at the party alongside Mingyu and Joshua, entering the 8th floor apartment he now knows like the back of his hand. They see Johnny first, his towering figure easy to spot amongst the crowd. Mingyu leads the way to him, his own presence making people give them room to walk past.

“Hey man!” Johnny greets. “Glad you made it! Where’s your roommate and his friend?”

Jeonghan takes that as his cue, pulling Joshua from behind Mingyu so they can say hi. Johnny blinks rapidly at their appearance, jaw going slack for a few moments before breaking out in laughter.

“Christ, you really can pass off as twins.”

Though not as wild as their previous color choices and not the exact same shade, the two best friends sport newly dyed hair in varying hues of brown. Jeonghan’s had a reddish tint to his while Joshua’s looks like coffee.

“I wanted to dye it pink again but they wouldn’t let me,” Mingyu says with a pout. “They refused to cut it, too.”

“I wouldn’t trust you with bleach. We’d probably end up with orange and green hair,” Jeonghan jokes.

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Joshua muses.

“Hey!”

Johnny laughs at their antics then proceeds to tell them to enjoy. “Food and drinks are all in the kitchen, so help yourselves. Chanyeol also messaged me earlier saying he’s on his way here with Jongin and Jihoon, so they should be here soon.”

“Awesome,” Joshua interjects. “I was wondering when I’d get to see Jihoon. Jeonghan didn’t tell me you ran the same circle.”

“Ha!” Johnny exclaims. “Now that I think about it, it’s Jeonghan’s fault we even know each other.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jeonghan says, hands raised innocently.

“Where’s Sehun?” Mingyu asks, craning his head to look around the apartment.

“Last I checked, he’s at the apartment across,” Johnny replies, keeping his eyes trained on Jeonghan. “Two cheerleaders live there so he was helping move their furniture to make room for partygoers.”

Jeonghan eyes the basketball player back, raising an eyebrow in question for his staring. Johnny smirks but says nothing else, making him scrunch his nose in annoyance.

“I’ll go make rounds and shit,” Johnny says. “Like I said, help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I’ll go find Sehun and tell them you guys are here.”

“Hold this spot,” Mingyu tells them. “I’ll go get us some food and beer.”

“I’ll help you,” Joshua offers. “We’ll be back in a bit.”

Jeonghan nods along as they leave. It’s better for Joshua to know his way around in case they get separated after all. He’s not left alone for long, several people coming up to him to say hi or ask about finals or talk about plans for the summer. His roommate and best friend join the fray a while later, introducing Joshua to everyone. They get more comments about looking alike, which they unwittingly play up by responding in sync.

When Jihoon finally arrives, it’s to hear him talk up Joshua and Jeonghan to Chanyeol. “You should hear them perform,” he rambles. “He’s a great guitar player and their voices really complement each other's. Just don’t make him sing on a Sunday because he knows only one song on that day.”

“I feel the love,” Joshua deadpans. “See if I ever play for one of your demos again.”

“I didn’t know you sang,” Chanyeol comments to Jeonghan.

He shrugs in response. “It’s nothing to brag about,” he starts. “I mean, you and Jihoon are music majors. I just sing as a hobby.”

“Stop being so modest,” Jihoon tuts. “He has a nice vocal color. Soft ballads and acoustics are their thing.”

“We should go to karaoke some time,” Chanyeol suggests. “Who has a birthday next?”

“As if we need a reason to party,” Mingyu quips.

In the midst of everyone’s laughter, Jeonghan excuses himself to go to the bathroom. He’s thankful that there’s only one person ahead of him, smiling when he realizes it was Joohyun.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were already here,” he greets.

“I was actually across the hall,” she replies. “I’m friends with girls who live there, Seulgi and Seungwan. I would have used their bathroom but when their share of the party is mostly girls, you’ve got a long line to deal with.”

Jeonghan chuckles at Joohyun’s exasperated look, nodding his head to the bathroom door. “Well, let’s hope that anyone who uses this one knows how to put the seat down.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” she says with a roll of her eyes.

Joohyun finishes her turn quickly, telling Jeonghan she’ll wait for him, explaining how Junmyeon was supposed to be with Chanyeol anyway.

When Jeonghan exits the bathroom, it’s to see Joohyun squinting her eyes at something across the apartment. He follows her line of sight, gasping when he sees exactly what she was looking at. “Oh my god, no.”

“Who is that?”

“That’s my best friend.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Joohyun says dryly.

Both of them watch on as Joshua nods along to whatever the other says. Jeonghan can tell by the twitching of his lips that whatever was being said was amusing to his best friend. When Johnny comes up behind Joshua, they both freeze. Jeonghan wonders what the other person said for them to look like they’ve seen a ghost, only to jump back when their gazes turn to him, slow grins tugging at their lips making him suspicious.

“20,000 Won on Sehun being drunk and mistaking Joshua for you.”


End file.
